Creative Memories is pretty innocent. Most of the consultants I know are in it to get the discount on their own stuff, not to recruit others. I don't think the company operates on the "downline" principle.

It does. Consultants are encouraged to recruit new consultants, and the upline makes a commission on her downline, much the way Mary Kay reps do. CM also operates on a $500 minimum order every three months to remain active. Those just in it for the discount probably either have a tough time making that quota, or they spend a lot out of pocket.

The products are good, and I used to use exclusively CM products, but I hardly buy any now. We have too many really nice local scrapbook stores for me to bother with CM much anymore.

I was a CM consultant for 4 1/2 years. My upline was/is a lovely person, but very CM business focused. She's put in a lot of hard work and has, quite deservedly, done very well at it. That's great if you want to go in that direction, but I wasn't interested in building it into a huge business. I quit as I was just sick of the pressure I felt from the higher ups in the business to recruit, recruit, recruit. Recruiting just wasn't my cup of tea, but it seemed that if you weren't interested in doing that then you weren't valued by the company.

I think just about all party plan companies (Tupperware, MK, CM, Stamping Up, etc) will have good and bad in them. There will be people in them who are out to recruit and/or build the business and will harass do whatever it takes to get there, whilst there will be others, like me, who just want to do it on a very low scale or as a hobby. The trouble is that the more focused/determined ones give all the rest a bad name.

I watched a documentary once on MK consultants and was shocked at the level some of them will go to for a sale or to recruit someone. If I was to base my opinion of MK solely on that show I'd run screaming everytime a MK rep came near me, but I have a friend who sells MK so thankfully I know otherwise. With her personality, (she could sell ice to Eskimos and recruit them in selling more to other Eskimos ) could easily have grown it into a big business if she'd chosen too. She deliberately kept it low key as to her (and me when I was in CM) keeping her friends is more important than selling an extra mascara or earning a few dollars a month commission from a friend's sales. Not to mention all the extra paperwork involved the bigger your team gets.

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Fabrashamx

I remember hearing about a company in the 70's that had incredible deals on carpet shampooing, they would send people out, and then the people would try and get you into a weird religeous cult. I was reminded of this when they spoofed it on 'Seinfeld', but I do remember it was a real thing. I dated a guy briefly who sold the rainbows, they were awesome, but way expensive and the company was quasi cultish in their selling tactics.Anyone remember the name of the religeous carpet cleaners??

BTW, Thanks to the poster who pointed out I had mixed up Werner Hertzog with Werner Erhardt. I had just rented Grizzly Man and my mind was on the director!

~Fabby

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Jaywalker

I have had more than one interaction with an Amway seller who believes that one is not 'Christian' if they dn't buy Amway. They seem to attract and feed the same kind of paranoia that many politicians do -- everyone is out to attack their religion (because we all know Jesus Christ was very clear about the all purpose cleaner his followers should use) And often these folks lack social skills so they are sullen and pout if you don't want to deal with them.

I was at a compliance seminar once (making sure that our financial company complied with rules and regulations). One of the compliance officers gave an example of a situation he once encountered - one of the managers at this one office started to work for Amway, and he would go into the recruiting manager's office after work, root through his files and wastepaper basket, and find the names of people who'd applied for work there. He would then contact these people and ask them to work for Amway.

That brings up something that I could start another thread on....misleading HELP WANTED ads. I can't tell you how many times I've gone to "sales job" or "new company needs staffing, hiring for all positions" "interviews" that turned out to be a hook for MLMs.

6/23/07

That happened to me a few years ago when I was desperately looking for work. I was very upset when I realized that it was a "cattle call" for sales people. The ad that I answered was for a front office person, paper work.

It was very maddening because at the time my DH and I were both out of work and were counting every gallen of gas ect.

My middle son received in the mail a letter that sounded like a job recruitment letter. He was getting a bit desperate for a job and set up an "interview". I found out they sent the letter to all new grads in the area.

Well I did some checking on the company and it was a MLM that sold knives. the poor guy at the bottom had to pay out $$$ for the demo knives and their own sale contacts all for $15 a sale. Oh, the knives had to be returned when they quit or they would be charged $$$$ more.

We had him cancel the "interview". They kept calling and calling him after he told them that he wasn't interested. They quit calling when I answered the phone and told them that if they continued to call I would call the police.

He has since found a summer job with a landscape company.

Cutco, right?

Bingo! That is correct.

They actually be good knives but the way they recuit employees was too pushy and dishonest so I won't be buying them.

My ex SIL called me years ago to see if her mother could "practice" her Rainbow vacuum speech on us--since I told her that we weren't really interested in buying one, could her mother just come and "practice" on us. Oh, and her supervisor/manager/upline would be coming along as well.

Uh, no.

My BIL called last summer to ask DH about this MLM electric company. Should he join? DH listened to the facts and said, no, that's a MLM, don't go there.

The next day there was a lengthy message from BIL on our answering machine about how we "really needed" to come to this two hour meeting to listen to a guy tell us why this power company would be great one for us.

I got the door-to-door Kirby team at my house, days after I left the ex and moved down to the smaller house my son had been living in before he moved. My son was 20 at the time, and the house needed a real cleaning.

I don't think the Kirby guy will ever be the same.

I told the nice man up front I didn't want one. He assured me that after a good demo I wouldn't be able to say no.

I told him feel free to clean anything you like, but I'm not buying. Period.

This guy spent the whole morning showing me how wonderful the Kirby was. He vaccuumed my steps, my carpets, my couch. He worked on my drapes, and showed me how to use it on kitchen tile. He took me to the upstairs hall and bedrooms and showed me how it would remove cat hair and "permenant" dirt spots.

4 freaking hours after he arrived he finished with a smile and asked me if I wasn't amazed and impressed by the Kirby.

I told him yes, it was really wonderful.

He told me payments would be $136 a month for a year.

I told him I still had no intention of buying, but that it was really nice of him to clean the house.

He started to sputter and I reminded him that I had told him up front and several times during his demo that I was not buying.

He asked if he could use my phone and I told him I had to run errands and would be happy to walk him out.

I thought he was gonna cry but what the hey- I kept telling him NO, I am not buying.

(edited cause I still can't spell)

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"Here to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. Have chalice, will travel."

I have had more than one interaction with an Amway seller who believes that one is not 'Christian' if they dn't buy Amway. They seem to attract and feed the same kind of paranoia that many politicians do -- everyone is out to attack their religion (because we all know Jesus Christ was very clear about the all purpose cleaner his followers should use) And often these folks lack social skills so they are sullen and pout if you don't want to deal with them.

A close family member recently got out of a MLM for internet shopping and fulfilling her "destiny" (and promptly into another, less agressive MLM or 2 I know longer have the details, I haven't been able to supress my eyerolls enough for them to be shared)...

But she had to change churches.That particular MLM markets itself through churches very strongly, and the leadership in her church basically made it clear she wouldn't be welcome because she had quit working for their "team".

Arg, I just today (er, yesterday now) met with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time. She'd been trying to get ahold of me for a while, and I figured she wanted to catch up. She did....but she told me over the phone she also wanted to tell me about this new business opportunity she was involved in. She was up front about it, at least. It actually didn't sound so bad. But then I looked into it and I think (having trouble finding ANY info on this company under the name she told me, which in itself seems odd) it is part of Quixtar/Amway. They don't appear to do much aside from recruiting other people to be part of it. I don't know how to tell her though, or if I should. She's so excited about it, and i really don't want to hurt her feelings. I don't suppose there's a polite way to say "I think you're getting involved in a pyramid scheme," is there?

Although I was thinking about selling Avon. I know a lot of ladies who like it, and there aren't any avon ladies in this area. I've never had an Avon lady (or tupperware, or partylite, etc) try and recruit me, mostly they just seem interested in selling the products, but the Mary Kay reps are really pushy about it. Makes me skeptical about getting involved in any of that type of selling, to be honest.

Very interesting thread. I got a letter in the mail when I was in college that bragged about "internship opportunities." I showed up, and it ended up being a group interview for the knife selling company. After sitting through the first spiel, I walked out. The guy asked me where I was going, and I just said I wasn't interested. I wast the only one who walked out.

I have to admit, they are the best knives I've ever had. My husband and I wanted to buy them once, and had to ask around to friends to find a salesperson who could sell them to us. I don't understand why they don't just sell them in a store or online.

I don't like most MLM companies, but I did go to a purse party recently that I really liked, and loved the purse I got. I have no interest in hosting, but would definitely attend another one. I don't remember the name of the company.

My Aunt's husband (Uncle) was very sick and dying of cancer a few years ago. He had married my aunt after my sister and I were adults, so we were friendly but not close.

My Aunt had driven Uncle up to see my parents one last time before the end (they were pretty close). My sister happened to be at my parents house when Aunt and Uncle were visiting.

Uncle calls Sister to him and tells her he has something he wants to tell her. Sister complies, believing Uncle is going to say some kind of important last words, or at least ask her to look-out for Aunt.

Uncle takes a deep breath and starts telling her all the benefits of selling Amway...

MiladyOak

My Aunt's husband (Uncle) was very sick and dying of cancer a few years ago. He had married my aunt after my sister and I were adults, so we were friendly but not close.

My Aunt had driven Uncle up to see my parents one last time before the end (they were pretty close). My sister happened to be at my parents house when Aunt and Uncle were visiting.

Uncle calls Sister to him and tells her he has something he wants to tell her. Sister complies, believing Uncle is going to say some kind of important last words, or at least ask her to look-out for Aunt.

Uncle takes a deep breath and starts telling her all the benefits of selling Amway...

ROFL!!!! Thanks, now I have to clean coffee out of the much-abused keyboard...

My Aunt's husband (Uncle) was very sick and dying of cancer a few years ago. He had married my aunt after my sister and I were adults, so we were friendly but not close.

My Aunt had driven Uncle up to see my parents one last time before the end (they were pretty close). My sister happened to be at my parents house when Aunt and Uncle were visiting.

Uncle calls Sister to him and tells her he has something he wants to tell her. Sister complies, believing Uncle is going to say some kind of important last words, or at least ask her to look-out for Aunt.

Uncle takes a deep breath and starts telling her all the benefits of selling Amway...

Please tell me that you are joking...

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My inner (r-word) is having a field day with this one.-Love is Evol: Christopher Titus-